CDC issues urgent advisory calling on pregnant people to get COVID vaccine

• The CDC is also calling on health departments and health care professionals to educate pregnant individuals on the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines.

By the numbers: 31% of pregnant people have been vaccinated against the virus, the CDC said.

• However, vaccination rates vary by race and ethnicity. Pregnant Asian people have higher rates (45.7%) than Latinos (25%), with Black pregnant people having the lowest rates at 15.6%.
• There have been more than 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in pregnant people as of Monday, including 22,000 hospitalizations and 161 deaths.

Of note: The CDC has also said that there is no evidence to suggest that vaccines can cause infertility.

• Scientific studies have found that virus antibodies from a pregnant person receiving a vaccine were found in the umbilical cord, meaning that antibodies that could protect babies may be created.